Dashing Indian opener Virender Sehwag feels that New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond was not as effective as he was earlier.

However, he added that this might not have been the reason for his sudden retirement from Test cricket.

Bond, who had to battle with injury throughout his career, on Wednesday made the announcement to call it quits from Test cricket though he would continue to play ODI and Twenty20 formats.

Shane Bond quits Test cricket

"I think these days he is not being effective the way he was earlier. But I don't think he has retired because it's getting difficult for bowlers nowadays with batsmen dominating the game," Sehwag said when asked about the Test retirement of 34-year-old Bond.

"For a bowler, the biggest challenge is how to restrict and get a batsman out and they always work towards achieving that. Like in life, cricket too has many challenges," he said.

Having revived his international career earlier this year after quitting the unofficial Indian Cricket League, Bond made it to the New Zealand limited-overs side during the tour of Sri Lanka, before working his way back to the Test squad.

Following a match-winning performance in the first Test against Pakistan in Dunedin, he was forced to withdraw from the two remaining matches after tearing an abdominal muscle that led to reassess his career in the longer version of the game.